Kill the Mandate!

[Meldread]

There are so many things wrong about this bill, but the most offensive of all is the mandate. The government coming in and demanding that we buy health insurance or face some type of penalty... it is just sickening beyond belief.

Most people who do not have insurance WANT it. The reason they don't have it is either:

A) Because they've done a cost analysis and decided that health insurance would cost more than the benefits it would give them. (Primarily healthy young people.) If the cost would go down, then they would reassess the situation and most would choose to have insurance.

B) People who genuinely can't afford it. They likewise want insurance, and if the cost would go down, they would choose to have it.

There is no one (or so very few to be absolutely irrelevant) in the entire United States of America who says: I do not want health insurance because I view it as useless.

By FORCING people to buy it you effectively are punishing the two aforementioned groups. If you want people to BUY health insurance then work toward creating a bill that actually lowers cost so people can afford it.

If I was a member of congress, I would threaten to join the Republican Filibuster unless the mandate is removed. There is so much shit in the bill that it is unconscionable that it would FORCE people to buy insurance. It's just unacceptable and is a total deal breaker.

[kctim]

1. I'm with you

I've been against mandates since clinton.

[boston bean]

2. A mandate with a PO or buy in to medicare is progressive.

Which is what hillary wanted. Obama wanted a mandate for children with a penalty (only) and a public option.

What we have now is a complete sellout of both of those ideas and a give away to profit making corporations with no strings attached!

[kctim]

5. I agree

I don't like this plan now. Don't like mandates at all and apply that equally.

[Meldread]

3. A shit sandwich becomes more tolerable when someone isn't forcing you to eat it.

That's more or less how I view this bill. It's a shit sandwich. If Democrats are going to whip up that type of sandwich and tell me it's really ham and cheese, the least they can do is NOT force me to eat it. If they pass this bill with the mandate still in it, I'm out.

In fact, I'm going to call my Senators (Webb and Warner) to let them know... if they vote for this bill while it has a mandate in it, I'm not voting for them to be re-elected. I will vote third party, stay home, and if they are primary-ed I will support the primary candidate. The same goes for Obama if he signs it into law with the mandate. It's unacceptable, inexcusable, and is the straw that is going to break my camels back.

[kctim]

7. Way to go

I have been sending letters and calling saying the same thing for a long while now. Telling them I would not vote for them, but against them, if they support any mandate.

[derby378]

4. Kill the mandate like the Italians killed Mussolini

I am in full agreement!

[Andy823]

6. I agree.

No public option or medicare buy, then no mandates that will allow the insurance companies to add to their profits by forcing people to buy their product, it's simply insane!

[damntexdem]

8. Yes. Were the mandate killed, it might not even be necessary to kill the bill.

Of course, any real HCR (short of single-payer) would require a mandate -- but not this abomination.